Tips & Tools Weekly (Vol. 11, No. 34)

25 Sep, 2006

Untitled Document

What's New at Cadalyst.com

Calling All CAD Managers!Cadalyst reminds all CAD managers
to be sure to participate in Robert Green's 2006
CAD Manager's Survey. As always, participants are assured that
data will not be shared with anyone and your personal identity will
not be disclosed. Green says, "My only goal is to report on
the state of the CAD management environment to you, my readers, in
the November issue of Cadalyst magazine."

Time for a New Job?If you're in the market for a new job --
or if you just want to see what's out there -- Cadalyst.com offers
an online Job Search that will help. Powered by Indeed, this search
tool offers a state-by-state list of CAD-related job openings, or
you can customize a search to find your own list of U.S. job openings
based on the keywords and locations you specify. Check it out today!
Use the Job Search button under the Resources section on any Web
site page or click
here for a direct link.

Cadalyst Daily UpdateFor all the latest news and new products, subscribe to Cadalyst
Daily e-newsletter. Plus, every issue includes a feature you won't
find anywhere else – hardware and CAD software reviews, success
stories, AutoCAD tips and much more! Here's a sample of what you missed
recently:

GIS News and InformationCadalyst's sister Web site Geospatial-Solutions.com is
a complete online resource for all things GIS, including GIS and mapping,
civil engineering, surveying, GIS news and more.

New Domain for Lenny's SolidWorks
ResourcesTips, tricks, free macros and links
are among the help available to SolidWorks users at the new Web site
of Lenny's
SolidWorks Resources. The site is hosted by Leonard J. Kikstra, a
drafter/designer since 1981 and a SolidWorks user since 1998.

IT Resources for HPC Users, Engineers
and DevelopersNextComputing added an IT
Resources section to its Web site to provide informative resources
for designers and executives involved in GIS, HPC (high-performance computing),
CAD/CAM, geophysical technology, and other industries. The company says
it created the resources section in response to developers and engineers
involved in HPC tasks, imaging, 3D rendering, number crunching, and others
who expressed a need for an informative portal that addresses the technology
inherent to their industries. NextComputing is a provider of high-performance
mobile workstations and servers.

Do you have a favorite tip or shortcut
that you use every day in your CAD software? One that saves you
time? Makes life easier? Share
it with other readers and, if we publish it, we'll send you
a “Cadalyst:
CAD the Way You Want It” t-shirt.

Follow-Up to Layer ControlReader John Damman has
more to add to the Layer Control debate that began in the August
21 issue. He finds that unloading, not detaching, the offending xrefs
helps a great deal. The lman, or layer state, remains intact while eliminating
(even temporarily) unwanted xrefs without adding more layers.

Follow-Up to Editing Text ObjectsMichael E. Beall wrote in,
commenting Tip Patrol that Tips & Tools Weekly has had "wonderful
content -- gold stars all around." Regarding the September
11 issue, where the Tip Patrol states that you can use the Alias
Editor in Express Tools to edit aliases, he offers an additional
option. When he attended CAD Camp a couple years back in Columbus,
Ohio, Matt Murphy recommended editing the ACAD.PGP file using the
feature in the core AutoCAD or LT structure found under Tools/Customize/Edit
Program Parameters. Scroll to the bottom of the PGP file and add
your alias edits to the bottom of the list.

Beall says he is an avid proponent of AutoCAD's Express
Tools, but this alternative approach allows his AutoCAD LT peers to take
advantage of this editing tip as well.

Rename Those Layers
When reader Brian Benton receives AutoCAD files from
outside firms, he says it's often difficult to incorporate them into
his company's CAD layering system so that they plot nicely and not too
dark and blotchy or light and invisible. He states, "Often we spend
time matching properties on every line, text, hatch, etc. Others open
the layer manager and reset all the layers manually. Instead, I use the
Rename command."

"To begin, I save a copy of the original file
as a backup, just in case there's a problem later on. Then, I purge all
unused layers and rename the outside files' layers to our standard layering
conventions. This is usually simple because most companies use some sort
of logical system for layer names. I then insert that file into our template
file that includes all our standard layers. The outside file's layers
then take on all the attributes (linetype, color, etc.) of the predefined
layers in our template file, and I only had to edit the names. All done!"

"Now the file plots with our drawings and we
can read it. Changing the names of the layers in Rename is easier than
in the Layer Manager because it's not as bulky. On the other hand, if
you want to see linetypes and color while changing the names, you can
do the same thing with the same results by changing their names in the
layer manager. You can also use Rename to change the names of blocks,
dim styles, line types, text styles, UCSs, viewports and views."

NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: Another
solution would be to use the old Express Tools layer translator, Laytrans,
which is useful when receiving data from consultants or other outside
parties. It lets you save the settings so that when the next file comes
in from the firm in question, all that's necessary is to first import
the settings that were used on the prior file for an instant match.

On the other hand, translating drawing properties
between companies can be tedious as well as time consuming. Purging unused
layers can turn out to be a problem when the drawing is returned to that
particular company. One alternative: Talk with said company in an attempt
to establish mutually beneficial CAD standards. If such an agreement
cannot be reached, then, based on your current release of AutoCAD, you
can use the standards checker included with latest versions. Keep in
mind that if these drawings are to be returned to the company, your layering
conventions and other standards are secondary and your clients' needs
are primary.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom Shawn Crites offers some
ideas on how to use the Zoom command in toolbars and menus: The standard
Zoom Window toolbar button and menu item has the macro '_zoom_w that
always initiates the Window option. You can make the macro more robust
by removing the _w at the end (leaving simply '_zoom). This gives
you the following options when you click the button or menu item:

Zoom a window by picking two points. This operates
as if the command had the _w option except for the Command line prompts.

Type the entry of the various zoom scale options,
then press Enter for absolute zooms, a number with an x for relative
zooms or a number with xp specifically for zooming viewports to scale
relative to paper space.

For other zoom options, use the right-click context
menu (if enabled) or type the first letter of each option, then press
Enter. Note that L for Left also works but is missing from the context
menu.

Also, did you know that '_zoom_a for Zoom All zooms
to your plotted paper size, which is nice for seeing a little area outside
your border? However, this doesn't work if objects are drawn outside
the area -- it then acts similarly to Zoom Extents.

NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: This
procedure is beneficial for those who don't use a wheel mouse. You can
make adjustments in paper space via the Properties box. Very seldom are
any of the other zooming features needed. For those that are, the Zoom
toolbar is readily available. The wheel mouse has become the ultimate
tool for navigating AutoCAD drawings.

Your Favorite Tools
During Peter Bagwell's normal workday, he often starts
new AutoCAD drawings using a variety of templates. Depending on which
template he opens, he prefers to use different toolbars. Therefore, each
template contains a little box that lists the toolbars and other notes
he might use for a drawing. He begins by turning on the toolbars needed,
erasing the box and saving the drawing as a new name.

NOTES FROM CADALYST TIP PATROL: One
tipster suggests that Profile setups (under Options) are another useful
tool for toolbar placement and selection, eliminating the need for a
note box. Refer to AutoCAD's Help file for instructions.
Another tipster states that he also has templates set up for the necessary
layer color and linetypes. He uses an extensive array of tools for these
tasks, but prefers to have them available through LISP routines and the
MNL method.

MicroStation Tip -- Your
Mouse and View Control
In this tip, from Axiom's MicroStationTips.com Web site, you'll learn
how to change the view control settings associated with your mouse wheel.
This tip assumes you are using MicroStation V8 and that your mouse has
a wheel. Click
here for more.

Free White Paper Describes Market Trends Catalog Data Solutions, a provider of online
product selection tools, released a white
paper titled "Convergence of Market Trends Creates New Online
Opportunity for Manufacturers and Distributors." The report,
a free download for those who register, details key trends in the
manufactured products market that have converged to create opportunities
for manufacturers and distributors to drive revenue growth, lower
costs and increase customer loyalty.

Free SolidWorks 2007 Update TrainingiKnowledge Systems announced it has partnered
with SolidWorks to make SolidWorks
2007 Update training available free to current SolidWorks subscription
customers. The new 2007 update course, presented in the company's
i.get.it software application, is all SolidWorks users will need
to make the transition to the newest release, according to the company.
The course provides instruction on Sketching, Parts and Features,
Sheet Metal, Drawings, Assemblies, eDrawings, System, PhotoWorks,
Toolbox, Utilities, ScanTo3D, FeatureWorks, Routing, Design Checker
and Animator.

E-learning Training Library for Bentley
PowerCivilAxiom released a new addition to its GEOPAK
series of e-learning solutions. GEOPAK
PowerCivil library introduces Bentley's civil engineering solution
that streamlines workflow and automatically updates data as it is
modified. The five courses cover coordinate geometry, relationship
modeling and exploring design modifications with coworkers, contractors
and clients. The program provides an interactive learning environment
wherein students can progress at their own pace.

Webinar: Extending the
Value of ERP for Custom Product Manufacturers
October 12, 2006
The webinar will address the challenges that custom product manufacturers
face and recommended solutions to help them deal with product complexity
while responding to customer-specific orders more rapidly, accurately
and efficiently. Read
more

SAP Business Forum 2006
October 18, 2006
Chicago, Illinois
Part of the SAP Business Innovation Series, this complimentary event
will include sessions with SAP experts who will answer and discuss attendee
questions and concerns. General Colin Powell, USA (Ret.), former U.S.
secretary of state, will deliver the keynote speech. Read
more

Future Industrial Applications
of Additive Fabrication
December 1, 2006
Frankfurt, Germany
This eighth annual conference will coincide with the EuroMold 2006. Experts
from several countries will share their knowledge and expertise to help
attendees make important decisions related to new business, research
and investment opportunities and challenges. Read
more

Primavera 23rd Annual
Conference
December 3-6, 2006
San Diego, California
The Primavera Annual Conference is an annual educational forum for the
company's software users to update their product knowledge, network with
their project management peers and meet Primavera employees. Conference
offerings include hands-on learning, project profiles and educational
and technical tracks. Read
more

World of Concrete 2007
January 22-26, 2007
Las Vegas, Nevada
The program for this year's World of Concrete conference includes more
than 130 seminars and a Women in Concrete luncheon and forum, which will
bring together more than 200 women working in the concrete construction
industry. Read
more

SPAR 2007
March 26-27, 2007
Sugar Land (Houston), Texas
Subtitled "Capturing and Documenting Existing-Conditions Data for
Design, Construction and Operations," this conference aims to illuminate
the business case for using advanced dimensional control work processes
enabled by new technologies (such as 3D laser scanning) to achieve safety,
cost, schedule and quality values for capital projects. Read
more

ESRI Business GeoInfo Summit
April 23-25, 2007
Dallas, Texas
This fourth annual conference will brief C-level executives, managers
and developers on geospatial analysis and business intelligence capabilities
for the enterprise. Read
more

AutoCAD Tips!

In her easy-to-follow, friendly style, long-time Cadalyst contributing editor and Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen guides you through a new feature or time-saving trick in every episode of her popular AutoCAD video tips. Subscribe to the free Cadalyst Video Picks newsletter and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is published. All exclusively from Cadalyst!